Friction and corrosion behavior of laser cladding Ti₅₀Nb₁₅V₁₅Zr₅Cr₅Al₁₀ high-entropy alloy

Abstract

This work investigated tribological behavior and corrosion resistance of laser cladding (LC) Ti₅₀Nb₁₅V₁₅Zr₅Cr₅Al₁₀ high-entropy alloy (HEA) coatings on Ti6Al4V substrates. Microstructural characterization illustrated that there was only body centered cubic phase in the HEA coating. Besides, the coatings of different laser power all exhibited obviously higher hardness than the substrate. It is illustrated that the microstructure of the HEA coatings is composed of body centered cubic phase, and the temperature gradient contributes to the distribution difference between the equiaxed and columnar grains. Meanwhile, the relationships between the tribological behavior, corrosion resistance and alloying elements have been illustrated. The HEA coating with 2200 W holds the best wear and corrosion resistance. During the friction process, there are many oxides formed at high temperatures, and adhesive wear contributes most to the wear mechanism of the coatings. The wear volumes of the HEA coatings are only 24.7% to 45.5% of that of the Ti6Al4V substrate. Due to the alloying elements like Cr and Al, there is dense passive film formed during the corrosion process, thereby leading to better corrosion resistance of the coatings. The corrosion rates of the HEA coatings with 2200 W and Ti6Al4V substrate are 5.34×10⁻³ mm/a and 2.69×10⁻² mm/a, respectively.

Keywords

laser cladding / high-entropy alloy / microstructure / wear mechanism / corrosion behavior

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Central South University